Modern Shelf Makeover

I’ve been wanting to try chalk paint for ages. I mean, being able to paint any surface with little to no prep? That is right up this lazy girl’s alley!

I have so many things I want to paint. I decided to start simple with this solid wood, homemade bookcase.

I am loving the sleek modern look it has now!

Let me show you how I did it…

The bookcase was originally a hutch that my dad built ages ago to sit on top of a dresser. We decided to repurpose it for a new use as a stand alone bookcase. The hubs added a piece of wood underneath and framed out the front. He caulked all of the edges. I gave it a slight sanding just to smooth everything out and wiped it down with a damp cloth.

I ordered Blue Minerals Chalk Paint Powder on GroopDealz awhile back. I love using a powder like this instead of a pre-made chalk paint because I can create any color I want! And this stuff goes a long way. I only used a small amount to make enough paint to cover 3 coats on these shelves.

I think because I was using white paint to cover a dark stain it took 3 coats. I did not “antique” or “age” the paint. I also did not add any wax (I’ve heard wax shows fingerprints pretty badly and this is going in child’s room). I really just wanted to the bright white look.

After the paint dried, I cut gift wrap from Home Goods to fit the back of the shelves. I glued the paper on with Mod Podge.

The gift wrap is fun and modern and incorporates perfectly into my little boy’s room.

In fact, he refers to the ikat design as leopard spots!

I filled the shelves with his collection of dinosaur books, puzzles, animals, and bank.

Hi Elizabeth! Thank you so much! We lucked out on the dinosaur bank. My mother found it at a consignment sale. It does have a web address under the belly for fabny.com, but I can’t find the bank on their website. I searched for in on Amazon; no such luck, but they did have several other dinosaur banks to choose from. Maybe one of those would work for you?

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